Strange Noises
by ILoveTea
Summary: Lindsay just moved in to Danny's appartment. Everything seemed fine except for the strange noises at night. Not a thriller, I know my limitations. Please read & review. I appreciate it.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI:NY. This plot is mine, though.

---

The elevator door was starting to close when someone yelled, "Hold that door, please!" Lindsay Monroe held the door open for a young woman, her short black hair in disarray. She stepped in and the door closed.

"Thank you," the woman said, still breathless, apparently because she had been running. It's a good thing she was wearing sneakers. She then pushed the button for fifth floor. Lindsay just nodded her head, smiling. But then she remembered something and asked the other woman, "Didn't I see you walked out of the building?"

She smiled sheepishly then answered, "Yes, I was on my way out to the repair shop when I realized I forgot to bring my speakers. They were broken and I wanted to have them repaired. What's the point of going to the shop without them?" Suddenly they heard hip-hop music. She reached in to her pocket and took out a cell phone. "Yo, what's up?" she talked to the handset.

At that moment they arrived on the fifth floor and the woman stepped out. She nodded a little to Lindsay and walked down the corridor, still talking to her phone. Lindsay got off the elevator at the seventh floor. She walked to her new appartment. Well, actually it's Danny's. She just moved in last week.

After she closed the door behind her she threw the keys onto the table by the door. She's alone that night because Danny was still in his shift. She walked to the kitchen and put the takeout she had bought on the kitchen table.

After a warm shower she enjoyed her dinner in front of the TV, watching the news. That's when her cell phone rang. She scrambled to find her phone. Finally she found it. "Hello," she talked to the piece. She could hear Danny's voice, "Montana, I'll be home late. We have new leads that we need to check." Lindsay sighed and said, "OK. I'll see you tomorrow." Danny sounded confused and then he laughed, "I'll try to be home before dawn." He hesitated before he said, "I love you." Lindsay smiled and said, "I love you too, Danny." After he hung up she decided to go to sleep.

---

Lindsay woke up with a start. First she didn't realize where she was. The phone was still ringing. Finally she remembered that she was in Danny's appartment. She looked around for her phone. Who's calling at this hour? She asked herself.

As she flipped the phone open she glanced at the clock. Three a.m. "Hello," she said in a rough voice. "Lindsay, congratulations! You're an aunt now!" the man in the other end of the line was almost shouting. She recognized her brother's voice. "Congratulations, Ben. So what do I have? A niece or a nephew?" she asked him.

"Both! Can you imagine? We're having twins!"

"Wow, Mom and Dad must be excited. Say hi to Beth for me, OK?"

"OK, Linds. Sorry to wake you up at this hour. I'm just so happy."

"It's fine. I'm going back to sleep now. I'll call you tomorrow," she said before she hung up. I'll get even with Ben six months from now, she thought. When my baby's born I'm going to call him to spread the good news. She chuckled at the thought of calling Ben in the middle of the night. She automatically put her hand on her belly.

Just as she put her head back on the pillow, she heard a strange sound. As if someone was crying. Or wailing in pain. She sit straight up on the bed, listening. Other than a car passing by the street seven storey below, she didn't hear anything. She could hear a siren from afar, but she was sure that's not what she had heard.

To be continued...

---

A/N: I think this story is most suitable for Halloween but I can't wait that long. I also think it's ok to have a spooky story on February. You know, as a buffer for all those Valentine romances. But i'm not sure I was able to create the right atmosphere. Oh well, I'll try to update next week. BTW, I don't know Lindsay's family so I just created them. Please review. I'd love to hear what you think about this :)


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: NY.

---

"I told you, I heard a strange sound, like a wolf howling at the moon," Lindsay said to her co-worker slash boyfriend. Danny glanced at her then beckoned her closer, pointing to the microscope in front of him. "Take a look at this fiber I found on the victim's clothes."

"Danny, you're changing the subject. I'm not crazy, I know what I heard," Lindsay said as she peered in. "They look synthetic, but I don't know what they are. I was fully awake. You must be, after hearing Ben's news. Twins, wow."

He chuckled before asking her, "So, would you like to have twins too?" Lindsay stared at him wide eyed. "Hell, no. One is going to be a handful. I can't imagine having two at the same time." Her look became serious again. "So what do you think I heard last night?"

He sighed before he answered, "I don't know. I've been living in that building for years but I've never heard anything like you described. I don't think you're crazy. I believe you. Maybe it was the wind blowing through a crack in the window."

She was sure it wasn't.

"Maybe it's from a neighbor's television. You said it was like a wolf howling. It could be from one of those nature programs about wild animals."

Lindsay looked doubtful. "I don't know. Maybe you're right."

---

Later that day Lindsay and Danny were enjoying their lunch in a deli near their office when he called out to someone. She turned around to see the girl from the elevator the previous night walked toward them, carrying a plate of sandwiches.

"Annie, what are you doing here?" he asked the girl. She answered, "Giving a speech about the importance of hip-hop music in our culture." She laughed before she continued, "Obviously trying to find a decent sandwich for lunch."

She turned to look at Lindsay and said, "I didn't know you're with Danny."

Danny looked amazed at them both, "Do you know each other?" Lindsay just nodded while the other girl said, "Yeah, we met in the elevator last night. She held the door for me, but we didn't introduce ourselves." She sat on a chair he had pulled out for her and put her plate on the table.

"OK then, let me introduce you," he said. "Lindsay, this is Annie Sutton. She lives in the apartment right below us." He turned to Annie, his arm on Lindsay's shoulders, "This is Lindsay Monroe, my co-worker who also happens to be my girlfriend," he said with a big grin on his face.

Lindsay looked confused as she said, "I thought you live on the 5th floor."

"No, I live on 6th. My friend, Peter, lives on 5th. I needed to borrow something from him. He always goes to work at this club downtown at nine so I figured I had to catch him while he's still home," Annie answered while she brought a sandwich to her mouth.

Lindsay asked her, "How long have you been living in that apartment?"

Annie pondered the question for a moment as she chewed her lunch. "I think about three years, almost as long as Danny. Why?"

"Well, have you ever heard any strange noises? Maybe like someone was crying or an animal's howling?" Lindsay asked her again. Annie chuckled before she answered, "They don't allow pets except fish in our building and I don't think my goldfish howl."

Lindsay was not to be discouraged. "What about last night?"

"I'm sorry I can't help you with that. I worked all night and I didn't pay much attention to anything else," Annie said.

Danny chipped in the conversation. "You're still working for that publishing company?"

"Yes. The money's good and I love the fact that I can do my work from home. Currently I'm working on a novel about an Italian opera singer, like Maria Callas. She's very famous but her past involves some shady characters. It's fascinating," Annie said with apparent excitement in her voice.

Danny noticed a look of confusion in Lindsay's face. He told her, "She's a translator. She's fluent in French." He turned to Annie, "I didn't know you can speak Italian too."

"I don't. The book is about an Italian singer, but it's written by a French man. Weird, huh?" she said as she reached for another sandwich.

---

That night Lindsay woke up feeling thirsty. She slipped out of Danny's embrace and walked to the kitchen. It was dark but a little light from outside helped her finding the way. She was at the kitchen door when she heard something. Like someone was crying, then it turned into a wail, as if that person or whatever creature was in a lot of pain. She felt a shiver down her body, but she stood still. She was terrified, but she was also curious.

She cocked her head to the side, trying to discern what could possibly cause the terrifying sound. Then suddenly it stopped. She glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. It's two thirty.

She poured herself a glass of water and drank it in one gulp. She went back to the bedroom and as she pulled the covers she heard that mysterious sound again.

"Danny, wake up," she whispered as she shook his shoulders. "Wake up, Danny."

He groaned and opened one eye. "What is it, Montana?" he said, his voice coarse.

"The sound. I hear them again now. Listen," she said, pointing to her ear.

He raised his head, propping his elbows on the pillow. Then he sat up straight as he heard the creepy sound. His eyes widened, "What is that? Sounds like someone is in pain. I can feel the hairs on my neck stand."

"I know. It's spooky. What shall we do?" she asked him.

"Well, we're CSIs. I'd say we go find the source. If it's a man and he's hurt, we must help him," he said as he walked over to the closet to get his sweatshirt and gun. Lindsay was already holding hers.

"The sound is louder when I walk by the balcony," she told him. He opened the balcony door and stepped out on to a landing. He leaned over the railing, trying to determine the direction of the sound. She was behind him, ready to pull him back in case he leaned too far. They still heard the wailing sound.

He straightened up and turned around. "Yep, I'm sure it comes from Annie's room. I'm going to call her to check if everything's all right."

They walked back in and he picked up his cell phone from the night stand. "I know I have her number here. Saver, Sheldon, hmm, Sutton. That's it." He put the phone on his ear. "That's strange. The phone's turned off."

"Do you have her apartment phone number?"

"No, but I have something better. I know where she keeps her spare key," he said as he walked to the front door.

"You're going to break in to her place?" she asked him in disbelief. He shrugged his shoulders. "Why not? She told me where she put it so in case of an emergency I can help her. Just like when she was on vacation and she called me to feed her goldfish. This situation also falls into the emergency category," he stopped before he added, "She might be hurt."

"What if she's in bed with a man? That would be awkward."

"Don't worry, Montana. Her boyfriend is in Europe and I don't think she's seeing anyone else."

She was still unsure but she followed him out. "Let's take the stairs. It's faster," he said as he held out his hand to her.

They finally arrived in front of Annie's apartment. First he knocked the door and called out her name. After several minutes without any response, he walked to a nearby fire extinguisher and lifted it from its pedestal in a crook on the wall. He picked up a key and put the fire extinguisher back.

He put the key in the lock and turned it. They heard a soft click and he opened the door slowly. "Annie? It's Danny and Lindsay. Annie? You're here?" he said into the darkness beyond. They didn't hear any response, but the howling got louder.

They entered the apartment carefully, guns ready. They searched the place until they came to a closed door. She said, "Whatever it is, it's behind this door."

He nodded and said, "On the count of three. One, two, three!"

He pushed the door open to reveal Annie Sutton with headphones on her head, singing an aria completely out of tune. She was sitting in front of a computer. She turned her head and screamed when she saw two guns pointed at her.

To be continued…

---

A/N: I love the reviews. Thanks. I hope you like this too.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: NY.

---

Everybody in the lab was laughing hysterically. "So, the one you discussed with about the mysterious sound was the one who had caused it all along?" Stella asked as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Sheldon was also amazed. "And she didn't have a clue of what she had caused?"

"Yeah, can you believe it? She worked at night because she said that's when she was in the mood for work. Before her speakers broke down she used to listen to music and sing along in a low volume because she didn't want to disturb the neighbors. But when she used headphones she set it on a high volume. The masking effect made her sing louder," Danny told their audience.

Lindsay said, "She was so out of tune I didn't realize she was singing a song, even when I was standing in front of her door."

"But you said she's a hip-hop fan? Why was she listening to an opera album?" Adam asked her.

"I thought she liked hip-hop because I heard her cell phone ringtone. When I asked her about that she said it was a special ringtone for her brother, a hip-hop enthusiast," Lindsay answered him.

"She actually likes a wide variety of music. When she received the story about an opera singer she thought it would be appropriate to listen to some operatic albums while she worked. You know, to get the atmosphere," Danny added. "It's a good idea actually. Too bad she can't carry a tune."

FIN

---

A/N: I don't think Lindsay and Danny are the sort of people who talk about their friends to others but I want to explain about some things in the story and I think this is a good way to do it. Please tell me what you think about this. Thank you.

P.S. This is inspired by a true story from when I was in college. For days everyone in the dorm was terrified because they heard mysterious sounds after midnight. The case was closed when one of them opened a door at three in the morning and found yours truly (yes me!), singing along to Maria Callas' album, The Soprano, as I studied and I don't even speak Italian. I think that's why none of my friends were willing to go to a karaoke box with me.


End file.
